The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-12
THE HISTORY OF A SKULL.
Strange Facts in the Life of Lord
Altman. --

a o4othNIl AIOkIi SpiulAbli w thC
New York Times says; There is in the
possession of physician of this county por-
ton of a womans skull which was plowed
up in field near the foot of the ChiclSies
Hills many years ago. The owner asserts
that it is the skull of a woman who was the
daughter of one of the early settlers in that
part of Lancaster county, and who, but for
the sudden and untimely death of her
lover, would have become the wife of James
Annesley, Lord Altman, who succeeded to
the title and its estates in the county WEEK
ford, Ireland, in 1743. The story that the
crumbling skull recalls is a pathetic romance
OF the olden time.
Among the passengers on board of q YES
sci that landed in Philadelphia in the early
summer of 1928 was boy who said his name
was James Annesley. He was ID years old,
and said he had been placed on the ship at
Dublin by his uncle, who had deserted him.
The boys passage had not been paid, and as
his story was not believed by the captain of
the vessel he was sold, after the custom Of
that day, to serve his purchaser until his
service had satisfied the amount paid for
him to the ships captain. Unfortunates
OF that kind were called redemption
ers," and as the rich agricultural
lands in Lancaster and adjoining coun-
ties were then being taken up by set
tiers and farm help was scarce in the coun-
try, farmers owning such lands were always
on hand at the landing of every vessel from
abroad, with the hope of securing one or
more redemptioners to labor on the farms
they were making. The boy Annesley was
purchased by an old German farmer who
owned tract at the foot of the Chickies
Hills. He was put to work at farm drudgery,
and shaved for the farmer for over ten years.
Once during this term of service he at
tempted to escape from his master, but was
captured and locked in the log building
which was then the county jail and stood
in what is now the centre of the village of
Columbia. The building was still standing
within the recollection of nliddle-aged resi-
dents of Columbia to-day.
The boy could have been kept prisoner at
the pleasure of his master, but the story is
that he was released at the fearful solicita-
ton of the farmers daughter--a girl one
year the junior of Annesley. The young
redemptioner went back to his drudgery on
the farm and never attempted to escape
from it again. As he grew to manhood he
developed wild disposition and the farmers
daughter, between whom and the Irish lad
a strong affection had grown, was the only
person who could hold him in check. The
girls father objected to the intimacy be-
tween Annesley and his daughter, and at
eiIti tl ~ years Jflc1 10 nlStlllSS Dllt
youth from his service and drive him away
from the neighborhood; but the young man
refused to go. He said he intended to marry
the farmers daughter as soon as he could go
back to Ireland and recover the rights of
which he had been robbed The old Ger
man did not believe the stories Annesley
was in the habit of telling about his just
claim to wealth and rank in his native land,
but the girl had the GREATEST faith in them.
In the summer of 1910 two Irish immi-
grants who had landed in Philadelphia and
were on their way afoot to a settlement on
the Susquehanna, in what is now Dauphin
county, while passing by the old Germans
farm stopped to ask for drink of water.
Young Annesley happened to be the person
of whom they made the request. Noticing
that the men were Irishmen, he asked them
from what part of Ireland they came. He
was told that they were natives of county
Wexford, and that they had been
tenants Of Lord Altman, whose cru
city had forced them and others
to leave Ireland and come to America.
Annesley surprised the two Irishmen, who
were brothers, named John and William
Brody, by telling them he was James
Annesley, tie real Lord Altman and that
at his fathers death in 172S he had been in
duced by his Uncle Richard to leave his
school in Dublin and go with him aboard a
vessel, which had sailed with him to Amer
lea. The Irishmen told him that the uncle
was in possession of the title and estates, he
having proved the death of his nephew,
James, and being the next of kin.
Arthur, Lord Altman, the father of
James. had married natural daughter of
the Earl of Buckingham in TIA Soon after
the birth of her son in 1715 she and her hus-
band separated. Lord Altman kept the
child, and formed Eaison with a young
Irish woman by the name Of Gregory. She
succeeded in creating in his heart a strong
dislike for the boy James, and the latter
was placed in charge of school teacher in
Dublin. The boy did not know who his
father was until the latters death, when his
Dublin guardian told him. His uncle took
him from the guardian under pretense of
conducting him to Wexford, but sent him
adrift to America instead, and came into
the title and property.
The two Brodys were satisfied beyond
doubt that the old Germans farm hand was
the real Lord Altman, and volunteered to
go back with him to Ireland and help him
to his rights. James Annesey went to
Philadelphia, and succeeded in interesting
Robert Ellis, a leading lawyer of that day,
in his case. Ellis provided the young man
with passage and letters to Admiral Vernon
of the British Navy, who was the stationed
Annesley to England with strong
recommendations TO influential parties
The Brodys returned to Ireland
and put themselves at the command of the
claimant. Before he had the proceedings
under way to recover his estates and title
from his uncle Richard Annesley he killed
man in a brawl in London. He was arrested
and indicted for murder His uncle used
money without stint to secure the young
mans conviction, but he was acquitted, It
having been shown that he killed the man
in self-defense The proceedings against his
uncle followed and resulted in the complete
success of the claimants suit, in November,
l743.
A few months after James Anuesley left
Philadelphia to press his claim as Lord
Altman the old Germans daughter gave
birth to a child Its paternity was never in
doubt, and on receipt of letter from the
girl begging him to return and marry her
the claimant of the Altman estates and
title replied and renewed his promise to re-
turn to America at the very earliest moment
practicable and fulfill his VOWS He wrote
to the girl by every vessel, and on the an
nouncement of the decision of the court in
his favor sent her word that the next vessel
after the one that carried the news to her
would have him as passenger to America,
whence he would return to his estates in
Ireland with her as Lady Altham.
The defeated uncle and false Lord Altman
appealed from the decision OF the court to
the House of Lords. While the case was
pending there the young Lord Altman died
suddenly and mysteriousy IN his apartment
in London, The uncle then became Lord
Altham in fact and the case was at an end
The sad news of the Young Lords death was